


Left Behind

by celticheart72



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Abandonment, Angst, Arguing, Broken Families, Complete, Father-Daughter Relationship, Gen, Strained Relationships, daryl is readers father
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-13
Updated: 2019-09-13
Packaged: 2020-11-02 05:02:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 669
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20629952
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/celticheart72/pseuds/celticheart72
Summary: You and your father finally have a discussion about how you feel about being left behind when the group had to abandon Hershel's farm.





	Left Behind

**Author's Note:**

> For a request from Tumblr for a ficlet where Daryl accidentally leaves his daughter behind when the group abandons Hershel's farm. She's cold and distant toward him when he finds her and eventually he breaks down in front of her because he can't stand the thought the last of his family hates him.
> 
> I didn't write it quite to the specs of the request.
> 
> WARNINGS: arguing, feeling abandoned, broken parent-child relationship

You wiped your forehead on the sleeve of your flannel and bent to work at turning up the soil Rick had set aside for a vegetable garden. It was hard work but it kept your mind occupied. When you heard a familiar voice call your name you winced. Daryl Dixon was the last person you wanted to speak to.

Sitting back on your knees you sighed and didn’t say anything. He’d either go away or start talking.

“C’mon girl, we need ta talk. It’s been two months.” He came around in front of you and knelt down next to where you were working.

“Did Hershel send you out here?”

His eyes pinched as he studied you and all you wanted to do was get up and leave. The disgust at the man in front of you rose until you were biting your bottom lip to keep from cussing him out. He’d left you behind, but he sure as hell didn’t forget Carol.

“Naw, he ain’t got nothin’ ta do with this.” He reached down and picked a blade of grass and started running it through his fingers. “Two months and ya barely said two words to me. I gave ya space when ya asked, but I ain’t leavin’ this time.”

“Really Dad?” For some reason those words just hit you the wrong way and you were lashing out with all of the pent up hurt and anger from the last several months. “Are you sure about that? Because from what I’ve seen the only one you’re not leaving is Carol!”

“What the hell are ya talkin’ ‘bout, girl?”

You bent back to the soil you had been working and started stabbing it with your hand shovel. “Hershel’s farm. That’s what! When the herd came through I watched you ride off with Carol on the back of your motorcycle. You didn’t even bother to make sure I was with the rest of the group. You just left me, Dad!”

“I was goin’ ahead ta make sure the road was clear! Carol came with me last minute.” He shook his head. “Lori was s’posed ta make sure ya were with them, she said they couldn’t find ya. I went back and looked and there weren’t no sign of ya.”

“Lori isn’t my father! And bullshit!”

“Ain’t no bullshit! I asked her myself! She promised me they’d take ya with them.”

You laughed bitterly as you dug at the soil, at this point all you were really doing was throwing dirt everywhere. Finally, you slammed the tip of the shovel into the ground and braced your hands on your thighs. “Well, she didn’t, Dad. Lori never even yelled for me when they left the house.” You pointed a finger at him. “ _ YOU _ are my father! You should have taken me with you! You chose Carol over me!!”

He stared at you as you yelled, mouth in a tight line and eyes pinched. His head shook and you could see him chewing on his bottom lip like he often did when he was working something out. “Lori swore ta me she looked fer ya.”

“And you believed her? She’s Rick’s wife! Isn’t he the one that fucking left Uncle Merle on that rooftop in Atlanta?”

Your father stood up and walked several steps away before he started pacing back and forth.

“You left me behind, Dad. I was lucky I knew enough to survive as long as I did until Maggie and Glen found me.”

When he stopped pacing his back was to you and his head drooped. His voice sounded rougher than normal but you really didn’t care. “I don’t want ya ta hate me. Ya might be nineteen but yer still my little girl.”

“No Dad, I’m not. Not now. Just leave me alone.” You got up and put as much distance as you could between you and your father. 

Hate was a strong word, but it seemed to come easy to Dixons. And you were a Dixon to your core.

**Author's Note:**

> If you like my work kudos are appreciated. If you love it comments are wonderful. If you have constructive criticism or questions let's talk. If you leave blatantly rude or negative comments, know that no hate is allowed here and will be deleted. And if you read my work and are too shy to interact right now, know that's okay too.
> 
> Just a general A/N regarding all of my work: Please understand that I update when writing inspiration hits. I never intend on abandoning an unfinished fic, so know that if I do I'll eventually get back to it when inspiration strikes again.


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